


Winds of Change

by SavageThor



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), Naruto
Genre: Alive Starks (ASoIaF), Anal Sex, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, Bisexual Sansa Stark, Canon-Typical Violence, Dragon Riders, F/F, F/M, Harems, Jon Snow Knows Something, Jon Snow is Not Called Aegon, Jon Snow is a Targaryen, Magic, Multi, Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Targaryen Restoration, Time Travel Fix-It, Vaginal Sex, Warg Starks (ASoIaF)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:15:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26306194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SavageThor/pseuds/SavageThor
Summary: After the disaster that was the ending of Game of Thrones, Naruto is elected to go and fix it. Sending a group of individuals back in time how will this effect the Game of Thrones and it's players. Immortal Bijuu Naruto, book characters will be present though I haven't read them. Screw D&D. NarutoxHarem, JonxHarem
Relationships: Aerys II Targaryen/Rhaella Targaryen, Ashara Dayne/Brandon Stark, Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark, Elia Martell/Lyanna Stark/Rhaegar Targaryen, Gilly/Samwell Tarly, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Jiraiya/Tsunade (Naruto), Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow/Rhaenys Targaryen (Daughter of Elia), Jon Snow/Ygritte, Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell
Comments: 17
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter 00: Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> R.I.P to Chadwick Boseman. As a black man that was a heavy loose for me as it is rare to see someone who gives a visual strength to our people as he did with his portrayals of Thurdgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, James Brown and King T'challa. For a people who have always been portrayed in a negative light by Hollywood he was a shining beacon and it's extremely sad that he is gone so soon when he had so much more he wanted to give. I also admire his strength for being able to do so much and stand so strong in the face of such a serious illness for the last four years and still inspire and visit with others affected by the disease. Rest well King, you've earned it.

When he awoke he did so with a gasp, immediately jerking into a seated position while his hands instinctively went to patting at his chest only to find not so much as a bruise upon it. His breathing, which had started heavy soon slowed to normal as he calmed himself and took stock of his surroundings to find that he was lying on a grassy plain in the shade of a tree.

"Finally awake then." Called a voice behind him, one he'd never heard before.

Turning to it he found himself eyeing a man who stood at the base of the tree. He was an older man perhaps in his forties if he had to guess an age. He was tall impressively so and stocky as well. Though he'd never met the man before he had an idea who he was simply due to his long brown hair, long face and the grey eyes of the Starks.

"Lord Stark." He greeted the man with a short bow of the head as he stood to his feet.

"Prince Rhaegar."

" **You're both awake, good**."

The voice that spoke was new to both and turning towards it they found a figure emerging from the bushes to the left. Both men could only look on in a stunned surprise as despite the deep, powerful voice it was not a man that emerged but a beast. Specifically speaking it was a fox, only a kind that neither had ever seen before. To start it was massive as it stood at a height above the two men, and to stand taller than Lord Stark was no small feat. Its fur was a golden color bright enough to match the sun while its eyes were blue enough to match the sky and nine tails waved lazily behind it. Suddenly as if its very appearance was not enough the creature shifted with fur, tails, claws and fangs fading away until the creature was gone and in its place was a man. He had blond hair that would put the Lannisters to shame, as instead of pale blond it was golden blond as if blessed by the sun itself. He still retained the sky-blue eyes of his fox form as well only the pupils were now round like a humans and he had odd markings on his face, three lines on each cheek giving the appearance of whiskers. As his form settled he stretched himself with the sound of bones cracking echoing through the clearing for a few moments before he settled.

"Sorry about that, I've been asleep for a while." Stated the being calmly as he approached them.

"Who are you stranger?" questioned Lord Stark just before the prince himself could do so.

"Now that is the question, I have many names but the two of you may call me Naruto."

It was a name the likes of which neither man had ever heard before but knew they'd not be forgetting any time soon.

"As for your next question of our current location, we call it the Borderlands. It is one of many spiritual nexus points hat separates the realm of the living from that of the dead." Explained Naruto.

"So we are dead." Said Rhaegar frowning.

"Indeed both of you for many years now. As to why I have summoned your spirits here it is due to your descendants, specifically your son, and your grandchildren. Come."

The two surprised men could do little more than follow after the being as he led them through the forest to the edge of a lake. Within the body of water there were a number of stones that led to what the Stark Lord recognized as a weirwood tree, the size of which he'd never seen or thought possible as it was taller than the towers of even the tallest castles.

"You're one of the Old Gods." Exclaimed Lord Stark softly.

"Indeed that is what your people and the Children now call us. I am also one of the Valerian Gods, of course both the First Men and Valyrians seemed to have forgotten much about us." Revealed Naruto shocking both men.

"For instance you call this a weirwood tree. Like me this tree has many names, your ancestors called it Yggdrasil, The World Tree. The ones you are familiar with are grown from the seeds of this one.".

Turning away from the tree Naruto motioned to the water. The water itself was clear and deep enough where neither man could see the bottom.

"Step into the water and submerge yourselves. As spirits you do not require to breathe. You will witness what has befallen your families and when it is done, and you emerge we will speak on how we will fix it."

With his piece said Naruto sat himself down with his legs crossed and closed his eyes. With no choice other than to do as bid the two men waded out into the water. When they emerged they had no idea of just how much time had passed as it could have been mere minutes or many years or anything in between the two points. While they had no clue how much time had passed it was obvious some had as several more figures had gathered on the shore. Though they had not met some of them each man recognized them all the same for the most part. Eddard Stark, Robb Stark, Bran Stark, Rickon Stark, Brandon Stark, Lyanna Stark, Arya Stark, Sansa Stark, Elia Martell, Rhaella Targaryen, Daenerys Targaryen, Aegon 'Jon' Targaryen and many more. The sight of the gathered individuals had both men moving towards them yet before they could speak their host opened his eyes and stood.

"Now that everyone has been gathered and caught up let us make sure everyone is on the same page." Stated Naruto getting the groups attention.

"Aegon, now that you have seen things from another perspective can you tell me what was happening with Brandon the younger?" questioned Naruto

The person addressed was a black-haired young man who just be his looks alone would have never been thought of as anything but a Stark. Upon hearing the name he winced visibly yet answered regardless.

"That old man, he took over his body didn't he?" questioned the former Bastard of Winterfell, words that caused many to freeze in place.

"Indeed. Brynden Rivers or as he is more commonly known Bloodraven has spent decades planning his vengeance and ensured his success upon taking young Brandon's body as his own." Stated Naruto.

Brandon Stark himself looked quite young perhaps only thirteen or fourteen years old. His auburn hair was long almost midway down his back and he sat surrounded by his siblings and Aegon whom converged upon him.

"Lady Lyarra." Called Naruto causing many heads especially the Starks to snap up and take in the woman whom he addressed.

She was quite young appearing as if she were in her early twenties and had the Stark looks about her with long brown hair and grey eyes. She was a beauty and stood with a poise befitting of a noble.

"What mistake did your husband make?"

"There were plenty, but the root was falling for the poison words of that southern maester." Said the woman

Her words were accompanied by a glare at her husband that had Lord Rickard Stark cringing back, much to the surprise of many and the elation of Arya who simply smirked.

"Queen Rhaella what mistake did Princess Lyanna make?" Questioned Naruto

"She was too trusting of Lysa Tully. She should have insured multiple means of her message getting out."

The next stretch of time was spent going over the mistakes that had been made. None but Rickon was spared of this and there were quite a few tongue lashings that were handed out in this time as well. Eventually Naruto had enough as he could see all of them had gotten the message that none of them had acted without mistakes.

"As much as this was needed you were not all gathered here simply to point out your mistakes. I will be sending you back, all of you though obviously at different times. That said let us discuss how we fix this mess." Said Naruto.

After what seemed like several hours of planning during which time his wife had raked him over the coals for sending Eddard to the Vale for so long Lord Stark finally felt enough had been covered.

"Anything else" questioned Lord Rickard.

"The fishwife will need to come to Winterfell early." Said Lyanna.

It wasn't the first time Catelyn Tully had been brought up between the group. Of course when mentioned many of them refused to call her by name. Thankfully at least the woman wasn't actually there as many in attendance wanted nothing more than to beat her bloody. Eddard and Sansa had gotten it bad enough but there was a special hatred for Catelyn Tully amongst the Starks and Targaryens for how she had treated Jon amongst other things. While they could have picked another bride for his son Lyarra would not have it, in her words she would put up with the idiot southerner if only for her grandchildren. That said she'd then given Eddard the tongue lashing of the ages over the desecration of their lands and his caving to her desires.

Sansa herself was silent, though learning that she had nearly been excluded from this gathering and had only been included because Naruto felt that the girl could be useful in the long run provided she spend some time under her grandmother Lyarra, which was why she currently sat silently beside the woman. While he felt for the girl Rickard honestly thought she deserved her treatment, yes she'd gotten the North its independence, but she'd done so by betraying her family and even broken an oath made before a weirwood. This of course explained how she died as when that news got out she'd been killed for it; they'd used poison so at least she'd had a clean death. The Karstarks had taken control of the North though as a regent until Arya returned from her travels.

Arya unfortunately hadn't lasted much longer. Her ship had been caught within a fierce storm and ended up sinking after crashing into a boulder that stuck out of the water, she ended up drowning at sea. As for Jon he ended up hanging himself from the branch of a weirwood beyond the wall only a few months after being banished. Thus had ended both houses Targaryen and Stark. According to Naruto many of the gods had been very displeased by this turn of events as it was not supposed to happen and Naruto who was the strongest amongst them had been voted to come and fix it. After that point the blond had been silent for the most part sitting cross legged and smoking a pipe. Aside from chuckling when his Targaryen grandson insisted on a name that was not Aegon, Naruto had maintained that silence allowing them to make up their own plans.

"Now that you have finalized your plans, I'll say they are decent but short sided." Said Naruto much to the surprise of the group.

"Rickard Stark you will have your people do an exploration of the North. You will find that it is filled with a wealth of goods. You will also begin negotiations between the leaders of the North and the leaders of those beyond the wall or the 'Free Folk' as they like to be called. You have forgotten the Old Ways of your people; they will teach you much that you have lost and allow you an exploration of those lands for goods. In turn you will make White Harbor into a trade outpost. Also send your people out to explore the world, it is much bigger than you know. This will increase the influence, reputation and wealth of the North and slowly your will people will come out of the isolationist mindset." Said Naruto getting a nod from the man

"Rhaella Targaryen you must increase your own personal influence on the world. I have been informed you had plans once that you never made known, implement them. This will make things easier on your daughter when her time comes. While Tywin is distracted you will see to your husbands return from Duskensdale, you will learn who to send when the time grows near. This will increase your standing with him allowing you to stretch your wings even more and give you some influence over him. You will in effect become the power behind the throne." Said Naruto making her eyes go wide before she nodded

"Doran, Oberyn and Elia Martell, you will spend you youth as you had for the most part, except for one caveat. You will investigate your lands history and explore its regions, in time you will find secrets that you have lost, including the rediscovery of your magic. With that find you will be able to heal Elia of her illness and Doran of his when it comes. Doran you will also have to let others in on your plans in the future, it will help temper the rashness of your brother and others around you. Elia your second pregnancy will come later than before, I will not take a child from you so he shall instead be born later" Said Naruto shocking them.

"Rhaegar Targaryen you will investigate your own houses history and in doing so like the Starks and Martel's you will regain what your house has lost."

"Aegon, you do not have to pick one over the other. You are a Targaryen and a Stark, a Dragon and a Wolf, both the land and skies are your domain. Like you I was also orphaned the day I was born and spent my early life chasing identity, purpose and craving the acknowledgement of others. Embrace who you are, stop fighting your instincts and emulating Eddard. Your uncle while for the most part is a good man is also a fool, it got him killed and destroyed his family. Your emulation got you killed and made you easily manipulated. Embrace this second chance young man." Said Naruto locking eyes with Jon who could only shakily nod his head.

"Arya Stark, you will lose the gifts of the Faceless. In exchange you will learn other skills that will make you even deadlier but without stripping away your identity. Mind your teachers well and perhaps one day I shall teach you a bit myself." Said the blond getting a serious nod from her.

"As for you Sansa Stark, embrace this second chance for you will not get another. Know that there are worse fates than death should you fail me." Said Naruto his eyes flashing a baleful red for but a moment before returning to their original blue getting a shivering Sansa to nod shakily.

With his peace said Naruto snapped his fingers causing the weirwood to glow with a white light before what looked like a doorway appeared within its trunk from which nothing could be seen but the white light shining from it.

"The tree shall guide you back to the world of the living. In time you will all receive visits from friends of mine who will aid you along the way." Said the blond.

Leading the troupe from the front Prince Rhaegar took a deep breath before letting it out and crossing the pond to the island of the tree and walking into the light. As the last of them left Naruto sighed before he shifted back to his fox form and drifted to sleep.


	2. Chapter 01: Beginning Anew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, and thank you to everyone who reviewed or added the story to favorites and alerts. This is another set up chapter but it's important to the overall story. A few Naruto characters will be introduced but a word of warning they are different and much, much older than their cannon counterparts. Anyway with that said here we go.

**Year 267 AC**

Rickard Stark was enjoying this second chance at life. He'd woken with a feeling of strength and exuberance he'd not felt in years beside his beloved Lyarra and had simply watched her in her sleep. She was beautiful, a true winter rose if ever there was someone who could be equal to such beauty. It had been while he'd been taking in her features that he'd noticed the swell in her belly, and he'd known that she was well into her pregnancy with Benjen. With that being the case that would make Lyanna nearly a year old, Eddard four and Brandon 5, all of them still young and innocent of the ways of the world and the evil that inhabited it. One of his biggest regrets was that he had not enjoyed his time with them when they were at this age, too busy with his southern ambitions, that had only gotten worse after Lyarra passed and they began to age. He had missed most of their growth leaving them in the care of Nan while he went about his work, so much so that their personalities had missed him. That would be a mistake that would not be repeated, he swore to himself and the Old Gods he would do better, be better.

When she finally awoke he had taken the time to simply hold her in his arms, allowing himself the vulnerability he'd never done previously. Then they'd talked, not of the North or the South or anything so foolish, instead they'd spoken of their family. Aside from themselves their children and her sister they were the last last bit of blood of House Stark, though now that they had the benefit of the knowledge they'd gained they knew this was no accident. That said working together the two of them would ensure that their house would flourish in the times ahead.

That however had been a few weeks ago, time in which Winterfell began preparations for the arrival of the Northern Lords. He'd summoned all of them to Winterfell for a council, something that had not been called for outside of war times in many years but would have to be done if both their own plans and the directives he'd been given were to proceed. Furthermore he'd directed them to bring their wives and if they had an heir that was of age and could be of aid then they were also directed to bring them as well. Maester Walys had of course tried to discover information recording the meeting but he'd frozen him out, the Hightower bastard would play no part in this meeting.

He himself had spent much of his time sequestered within the Lords section of Winterfell's library, a place that many did not even know existed, and a place he'd not entered since his father was buried. He'd known even before their return to the living world that he'd need to pay the place a visit and in his studies he'd discovered many secrets that previous Lords and even Kings of Winter had hidden therein. He shared what he found only with Lyarra and they'd adapted or come up with new plans to implement some of what had been found. Some of what they had found they'd been unable to use but knew would come in handy in the future, such thoughts however were interrupted by a knock on the door of his solar.

"Come." Called Rickard

The person to enter was a young boy, only 9 named Evin of House Cassel. He was not surprised to see him, Evin was a runner one of many children who were sent to deliver messages when not in his lessons which helped to earn coin for his family.

"Apologies mi-lord, there are a pair of travelers at the gate. They say they were sent by someone called Thor."

"Allow them entry and have them escorted here. Also have someone send my wife to meet us as well, she is currently with my children in the library." Said Rickard.

"At once m'lord." Said Evin before stepping back and closing the door.

It didn't take too long for Lyarra to arrive carrying Lyanna in her arms. Within twenty minutes of her arrival there was another knock on the door before it was opened to admit a pair of people, one male and one female. The man was quite tall, perhaps and equal to himself in height and well-built fair skin. He had waist-length, spiky white hair, similar to a Targaryen tied back into a ponytail, with two shoulder-length bangs framing his face and there were red lines under his eyes which extended down to the bottom of his face. The woman wash much shorter even a few inches shorter than Lyarra and had brown eyes with straight blonde hair that parts above her forehead, allowing a purple diamond sharped marking to be seen in the center of her forehead. Her hair has shoulder-length bangs that frame her face and the rest reaches her lower-back. Though blonde she looked nothing like a Lannister and next to her they would actually appear quite plain as this woman was honestly amongst the most beautiful he'd ever seen. The two were introduced as Jiraiya and Tsunade, strange names in his opinion but ones he committed to memory all the same.

"When Lord Naruto said he was sending aid I didn't think it would be this soon." Said Lyarra almost as soon as the door was closed.

"Yeah, well the brat was never one to waste time on something he thought important." Said Jiraiya.

"What plans do you have at the moment?" questioned Tsunade.

For the next while they spoke on their plans with Jiraiya and Tsunade adding their own input. Jiraiya as it turns out was an experienced spymaster and had been sent to help them build their own network something neither of them had taken into consideration before. Tsunade however was a healer and one who went about it by way of magic from what he understood. Her primary function there was to ensure Lyarra survived the birthing bed. The two of them however were also experienced combatants and would be helping with the training of their people. In doing this they'd imparted on them the knowledge on tools and tricks their people had used that had been discarded over time amongst other things.

* * *

Over the next few weeks he'd watched as the two of them helped in the training of a small select group of individuals. They taught not just armed combat but unarmed as well, making those they trained look like green boys in the process quite easily as well. Northerners were a hard people but watching the two of them break those men made Rickard question how much they had lost in the time since the Andals had first invaded or the Targaryen conquest. They liked to say 'the North remembers' but Jiraiya liked to remind him they'd forgotten much as well. Brandon and Eddard had begun their training under the two of them as well and as they were so small it was simply the basics for hand to hand lessons, stances and the like for the most part. The boys had been happy to start in their lessons in this regard and Jiraiya had them thinking of it more as a game than anything at this point.

He was thankful for this at the moment as it gave him one less worry at the moment. Lyarra had gone into labor shortly after they'd broken their fast this morning and had been taken back to their chambers by Tsunade for the birthing. Prior to this Lyarra had been examined quite a few times by Tsunade, the first time in which she'd had to remove poison from her system, something she'd had to do every few weeks since then. He was thankful for Tsunade, especially now as he had no doubt that left in the care of Walys his dear Lyarra would die. As it was he was still worried but not deathly afraid as he'd been the last time when she'd died in the process.

To distract not just himself but his children they were all currently in his solar as the boys went about their lessons. In this instance they were learning to read and write in the Old Way, Brandon for instance had taken to the Old Tongue quite easily but struggled in his study of runes. Eddard conversely took easier to runes but struggled with the Old Tongue, though he had no doubt that in time both would become quite fluent in both. He was also studying in this way though he was further along in the study as he could keep later hours than the boys. At the moment he was not working but instead had his time occupied by Lyanna who he was taking care to feed. A short string of knocks at his door was soon distracting him and had him calling for them to enter.

"Sorry to disturb mi-lord." Came a familiar young voice.

Looking over he was greeted to the sight of another young boy this one by the name of Justan Poole, the second son of Arin Poole, the Captain of the Winter Town guard.

"Riders have arrived in Winter Town, Lords Manderly, Karstark and Umber are all a day's ride away" Said the young boy.

"Alright. Find Lady Fryda and ask her to have rooms prepared for them." Said Rickard getting an affirmative from the boy before he left the room.

The door however did not close and instead was pushed open as another figure entered. This one was a young lady, on the cusps of adulthood that he knew as Breana, who'd been acting as Tsunade's helper over the last few weeks.

"It's over. Lady Tsunade says both are fine and you should come meet your son." Said Breana with a bright smile, one he couldn't help but return as he stood to his feet with Lyanna.

"Alright boys, let's go see your mother."

* * *

As the Northern Lords arrived over the next few days it was to find the residents of both Winter Town and Winterfell in a celebratory mood due to the birth of Lord Stark's newest son Benjen. Food was brought down from Winterfell from the Lords feast for the town's residence allowing them to eat a quality of food they wouldn't normally receive based on their own efforts. The Lords had traveled light on men with anywhere from 30 to 50 in their party. While the Nobles and minor lords were afforded rooms within Winterfell itself the regular guards were being roomed in Winter Town which allowed them to join in on the celebratory atmosphere.

At the moment the Great Hall in Winterfell was full of Lords and Ladies as they met with their Warden. They were a boisterous lot as they ate and made merry however that came to a halt and a serious mood settled on the room as the meal ended and the remains were collected. They were surprised as servants brought in parchment, quills and inkwells allowing them to take notes of the meeting. For the most part the women took hold of these instruments though there were a few of the men who felt confident enough of their writing ability to do so themselves.

"It's been nearly twelve thousands years since our ancestors came to this land. In the three hundred years since the Conquest we have been reduced in stature by the southerner's, they believe us savages believe themselves better than us, yet every time something goes wrong we have to travel south to take care of it. I have grown sick of this insult and those of you who fought with us in the last war may well be just as sick. To that end my wife and I have decided we will change this narrative." Stated Rickard his words enough to catch the attention of every person in the room.

"To do this certain steps must be taken, steps all of us may be uncomfortable with." Stated Lyarra surprising many that she was even present let alone speaking in this meeting.

"Each of us will do an exploration of our lands for tradable goods or even metals and gemstones. We our not a material people I know but it is a necessary evil for our children's future." Said Lyarra

"White Harbor will become a trading hub and not just an outpost. This means we will send people out from the Harbor to engage in trade in other lands." Said Rickard.

"Do we have ships capable of such a thing?" questioned Rodrick Ryswell

"We will. I have found Brandon the Shipwrights plans. It has been some time since they were designed however and I'm sure they can be improved upon. With that in mind aside from merchant ships we will also be rebuilding our naval fleet. We will have shipyards built for White Harbor, Sea Dragon Point, Flint's Finger and Bear Island." Said Lord Rickard.

"That will definitely help defend us from any more Ironborn raids." Said Jeor Mormont

"We will also build our own bank. The king won't raise our taxes and we'll not be sending our coin outside of our reach. We will need people very good with numbers to run it and the rules regarding it and our spending will be very strict. We will not be doing this just to end up like those weak southerners, especially the Reachmen." Said Lyarra much to the agreement of the group.

"We will also be training every man, woman and child for combat. For too long we've acted like Southerners and followed their customs, we are Northmen it is long passed time we revived our own." Said Rickard.

"Are you sure you want to send women into battle?" questioned Lord Manderly.

"You have southern roots, so I'll let that one slide. Our shield maidens were active in battle until the conquest. We follow the Old Gods as such those who die nobly in battle are the most honored and get to see paradise while those who die of old age or sickness will not." Said Lyarra

"We don't raise weak women in the North nor do we celebrate them." Said Lady Ranel Glover, something that got support from all the women who were truly of the North.

"Next we will be reviving The Fangs of Fenrir." Said Lord Stark causing a dead silence to come over the room.

* * *

Rhaella Targaryen was enjoying her second chance at life, much more than she had her first. She'd awoken nearly three years ago now, in the aftermath of what had been her second miscarriage. The version of her that had emerged from her rooms at that point had been much different from what many had expected for instead of a broken woman she'd emerged as a dragon. Aerys as both her brother and husband had noticed the change immediately and had actually been pleased to see it. That had surprised her, until she realized this version of her brother had only been king for two years at that point and as such had not yet been twisted by the manipulators surrounding him, much less the horrors of Duskensdale. Rhaegar had been barely five at the time and she'd quite easily been able to take charge of his scholarly education and pointed him in the direction she knew he needed to be in.

In the years since then she had emerged as a true player in the Great Game instead of just another pawn as she'd been in her last life. On top of her normal duties she had not only taken on the responsibility of educating Rhaegar but at this point had also taken on the duties of Master of Coin and handled their foreign affairs and as such she was an incredibly busy woman. This had the benefit of removing even the slightest thought of her being unfaithful in her marriage as everyone including her husband knew she had purposely buried herself in work. This work had not ceased even now that she was clearly pregnant yet again, something that seemed to be a surprise to the court at large. That however wasn't the only thing her influence had changed as it had even effected the Small Council itself. In her first go through of life the Master of Laws had been Lord Symond Staunton and the Master of Coin Lord Quarlton Chelsted. This time the Master of Law was Ser Aeron Royce, the younger brother of Lord Yohn Royce of the Vale while she was performing the duties of Master of Coin, in effect removing two of the biggest contributors of turning Aerys against Rhaegar.

At the moment she was located like many in the Throne Room, though she stood on an upper level with Rhaegar looking down on the scene, unlike everyone else who stood on the ground floor. They were whispers that something major had happened in the North but for the most part the place was quiet. Their Master of Whispers had also been unable to get further details, something that unnerved everyone, and she'd noticed Tywin had been especially displeased, which caused her no end of amusement. They had however sent a raven stating someone would be coming to speak with the king and they had seen ships flying Northern banners coming into the harbor earlier in the day. The room was already packed, both with the regular day to day of court life and those coming just to see the Northern visitors.

For the most part she ignored the goings on of the court instead her focus on teaching Rhaegar how to read the room and how to look past words to see their intentions. Rhaegar was of course a quick study and always had been only now she was seeing it for herself firsthand instead of hearing reports about it. As a plus she'd gotten him out from the influence of septas and maesters, instead teaching him to embrace his inner dragon early instead of suppressing it. It was only upon the arrival of the Northerners to the room that the normal proceedings stopped.

"Tell me Rhaegar, which houses are part of the Northern contingent?" questioned Rhaella.

Rhaegar himself was still a young boy, only just seeing his eighth name day pass and as this was a question typical for his age.

"I see the merman of House Manderly and the sunburst of House Karstark." Said Rhaegar after a few several long moments of observation.

Before she could speak on this answer the group parted to let a figure through and Rhaella felt her eyebrow raise as a woman stepped forward, she was beautiful and though not a look a like it was clear she was related to Lyarra Stark, perhaps the sister she spoke of in the beyond. Looking over to Aerys she was pleased to note he looked intrigued in the new arrival instead of insulted.

"Well now it seems Lord Stark has sent quite a group to see me. I recognize the Karstark and Manderly sigils but not you my lady." Said Aerys.

"My name is Branda Stark your grace." Said the woman surprising many judging by the murmuring of the crowd.

"That would make you Lady Starks elder sister, however I was told you were living in the Stormlands." Said Aerys.

"I was I married into House Amberly. My husband died in the war however and we had no children. Rather than stay and become a burden I elected to return home where I could be of use." said the woman

"Then tell me my lady why has your Lord sent you here?" questioned Aerys.

"A few reasons. The first is to inform you that House Bolton is now extinct, their castle, the Dreadfort, has been burned to its foundations and its remains seized by House Stark. The maester in charge of the Dreadfort Barneby has been executed for failing to report the crimes of the late Lord Bolton." Said Lady Stark stunning the room.

"Oh, and what crimes were committed?" questioned Aerys.

"They were hunting and terrorizing the small folk for sport, feeding them to dogs. Worse still they were flaying them, some of them while they were still alive. Thus they broke the treaty between our houses and as such Lord Stark executed the penalty as written as part of that treaty." Said the woman much to the horror and disgust of many in the room, even Tywin looked taken aback.

"And the maester?" questioned Aerys.

"He failed to report this and when confronted stated he didn't answer to the Starks, only the Citadel. Lord Stark corrected him on this notion."

"My King, Lord Stark was out of line, maesters answer only to the Citadel." Stated Grand Maester Pycelle.

"Not in the North fool. That was one of the agreed upon terms between Aegon and Torhen just for us to not kill you fools for daring to try entering our lands again." Said Lady Branda quickly.

"If I may your grace." Spoke Tywin getting a nod from Aerys.

"Why wasn't a raven sent explaining this news?" questioned Tywin.

"It was unwise, two maesters have been executed, Lord Stark doesn't trust other maesters to tell you the whole truth of what is reported, instead of trying to enact vengeance in error like this fool did." Said the woman

"Two maesters?" questioned Aerys.

"Maester Walys, the one assigned to Winterfell was executed for treason. It was discovered he'd been poisoning my sister. She'd have died in the birthing bed or lost her child were it not discovered and corrected in time." The silence that met this was deafening and even Aerys and Tywin were affected this time.

"Offer my congratulations to Lord Stark on the birth of his child on your return. This would be his third child as well correct." said the King after a moment to regain himself.

"Fourth your grace. My niece Lyanna was born just last year, this one was a boy named Benjen." Said the woman.

"It seems Lord Stark is quite fortunate in that way. How was the poisoning discovered?" Remarked and questioned Tywin.

"A healer, my father apparently befriended during his wanderer days. She and her husband are on a tour of the world and came to pay their respects. She discovered and neutralized the poison quite easily."

"Anything else?" questioned Aerys

"Yes, Lord Stark has a number of projects in the works. The navy is being rebuilt in order to rebuff and discourage further Iron Born attacks on our people. He also plans to open up White Harbor for greater trade. The Company of Roses is returning to the North and the Fangs of Fenrir have been reactivated. Finally he will be trying to treat with the wildlings in order to stop the attacks on our people." Said Lady Branda.

"It seems you all have much work ahead then. Tell me, what are you offering in trade?" questioned Aerys.

"That I haven't been informed of your grace."

* * *

That night found a tired Rhaella relaxing in her room. She was currently in the bath though nothing of her could be seen due to the soap suds in the water. The meeting had lasted a little longer and they'd been surprised again as Lord Stark had sent five years' worth of taxes so that he would be free to work on his projects with no worry. It had surprised everyone that Lord Stark had enough coin on hand that he could do such a thing and still have enough to cover his new projects. She knew that any other Lord in his position would have needed to take out a loan from the Iron Throne just to do just one of his bigger projects, but Lord Stark had no need to. According to Branda it was because northerners weren't frivolous with their coin as their lands were too harsh even in the summer for such things.

Even further shocking was that he'd been able to call back the Company of Roses, Northerner's who'd left rather than give up their freedom to the Conqueror. Over the years many other northerners had apparently joined that number, third and fourth sons, bastards or anyone just looking for a better life, especially since the Wall had been turned into little more than a prison now due southern interference. The meeting between them had ended shortly after and she'd had Rhaegar taken to begin his martial lessons by Ser Barristan. She'd had another more private meeting with Lady Stark in her solar where they covered a few more topics. It was in this meeting that she was presented with a letter from Lord Stark, one that was for only the eyes of herself and her husband. The letter had stated that the former apprentice of the healer who had seen to Lyarra Stark would be coming to Westeros as well only by way of Essos with her husband and that they would be stopping in Kings Landing. In that letter had been details of the ship as well as the healer and her husband. She had as such quietly sent word to look out for the ship or the two individuals and escort them to her, Aerys was the only one she'd informed of this and after some brief explanation had agreed to keep it quiet and not start any digging of his own at this point.

"I thought I'd find you like this." Came a voice cutting into her thoughts.

Looking up she was greeted to the sight of Aerys. For a brief moment she was taken aback then quickly realized this wasn't the monster that had tormented her. This version of Aerys was still her brother and didn't see her as a valyrian whore to slate his lusts on. She'd long since taken command of their lovemaking, taking her queue from the lesson's she'd watched her daughter learn while submerged in the water before she began this new life. With Aerys she'd learned to use her cunt as a weapon which had allowed her to gain the influence she had over him.

"You'd soak yourself too if you had to experience the aches and pains of carrying a child." Said Rhaella.

"This healer did Lady Stark tell you how they discovered and removed the poison?" questioned Aerys.

"Magic." The word got the reaction she was expecting as his eyes went wide in surprise.

"Yes apparently in the lands they hail from magic is widely practiced and many people have learned to use it to heal. I'm hopeful the healer that comes here will be able to help with Rhaegar as well." Said Rhaella.

"Rhaegar, what's wrong with him?" questioned Aerys

"He has Dragon Dreams. He doesn't realize it of course but he does. I'm hoping that perhaps there is some crossover between our magic and theirs, enough it least to point him in the right direction so that he could control his visions." Said Rhaella

"How long has this been happening?" questioned the king.

"Not long and they come sporadically, sometimes months, even years apart. I didn't realize what they were until he Lady Stark arrived today, he dreamed of her arrival months ago.

"You wish to know the future?" questioned Aerys his tone surprised.

"No, the past. There is so much that was lost in the Doom, he could learn all of that. Plus why did the dragons die out, they say it was living in the pits but I don't believe it. With this ability he could answer so many questions." Said Rhaella.

* * *

The deserts of Dorne were a harsh place and was one of the hottest deserts in the known world second only to the Red Waste in Essos in terms of size and heat, though its landscape was more diverse in appearance. It featured mountains, plateaus, sand- and gravel-covered plains, salt flats, basins, depressions and most famously sand dunes some of which stood taller than even the famous Wall in the North. For Doran Martell this meant little to nothing as at nineteen years of age he was now well use to traversing it. Elia and Oberyn now ten and nine respectively had been able to help him with the research but the exploration was left to him with a carefully selected team. By this point the team had been with him on searches from up and down the River Rhoyne in Essos and across Dorne.

To date they had found many things, among them lost historical artifacts they'd been praised for, but never what he'd been searching for. Over the past year Elia and Oberyn had been helping now that they had their memories of their past lives to call upon and they'd found a few clues to point them in the right direction. He knew a few of his team were wondering what it was he was searching for as after all they found he hadn't been satisfied but none had given voice to it to him.

"Found something!" the call broke him from his thoughts and had him looking over to the speaker

The speaker was a huge man by the name of Belano, who stood nearly eight feet in height putting him at a size comparable to The Mountain. He had black hair that was styled into individual box style braids, courtesy of Elia and dark skin that was rippling with muscles. Doran had found him in Pentos, a slave then only fourteen yet taller than many grown men. Taking a page from the playbook of Daenerys Targaryan he'd purchased him from his owner then freed him. Belano had agreed to stay with him in gratitude and had been with him for the last five years. Moving over to him he found him standing looking over the ridge of the dune and his team numbering twelve including himself were quick to move towards him. Coming to stand along side him he soon saw a spire buried into the sand.

"Good work, Belano." Said Doran

"That looks like sandstone, and in pretty rough shape too." This speaker was Gerrad of House Dayne.

"Right, lets grab the tools and see if we can break our way in." spoke Corban Sand, the son of Lord Tremond Gargalen whom he himself had once squired for.

"Grab some ladders as well, no sense making two trips."

The last voice was Mellario, his lover. Like the first time he met her on his tour of Essos while he'd been in Norvos. Only this time he'd taken things slower with her, not allowing the whirlwind of emotion and lust to dictate things as it had the last time. This time he'd seduced her with tales of adventure, travelling to see new places and discover their lost history and as such they bonded as friends long before he'd taken her as a lover. She was now his closest confidant, outside of Elia and Oberyn, and was effectively his right hand. Also unlike last time he'd agreed to her learning to wield weapons and now she was quite deadly with both a spear and a scimitar. As it was in the entirety of their party she and Belano were the only ones who knew exactly what he was searching for and why.

It took nearly an hour but they were able to make an entrance cutting a four foot block out of the tower, enough for them to slide through to enter. It was Eveya Sand, the daughter of Lord Ormond Yronwood that was the first to see the inside. She was the shortest member of their party at 5'3 but it meant nothing in the face of his skill as a warrior, nor did her beauty. Her size made her the perfect person for tight entrances as not only was she short but she was also slim and flexible which had worked out extremely well on their trips over the years. Crouching she approached the edge of their man made entrance and dropped a lit torch inside watching for it to hit the bottom.

"One ladder is enough, there's a stairway not far beneath us." Said the young lady as she backed out of the hole.

The ladders themselves were different than the ones most on the continent used as instead of mostly wood they were made of rope with the wooden planks. They were only fifty feet in length but could be attached to each other to increase the length if necessary as there were hooks on both ends of the ladders and latches to hold them in place. Soon enough the ladder was in place and one by one they descended into the building though they had to drop the last foot to land on the floor. Upon landing they quickly realized why there was a staircase as windows were spaced every ten feet going down the stairs, which were made of stone and despite the time that had passed showed not a single bit of ware on them from the ages.

"The hell is this place?" questioned Aenar Dayne as they traveled along the bottom, though he was from the cadet branch of High Hermitage, whereas Gerrad was of the main house of Starfall.

"If our research was correct, we may have just found Nymeria's Sanctuary."

"Nymeria's what?!" exclaimed Eveya spinning towards him in shock.

"Nymeria's Sanctuary. From what Elia, Oberyn and I were able to discover it seems she had this place built in secret from the Dornish Houses, only her husband knew the place was being built. It houses all of the knowledge of the old Rhoynish city states and anything else of value they could get away with."

As they traversed the place Doran was proven correct as they came across rooms with walls lined with wooden racks full of scrolls, there were statues made of gold and jade in another room and others with weapons. Some rooms were empty of everything except boundary markers which they guessed had been meant for some kind of training. Another room held nothing but a pool of water while others contained sand, and mounds of earth. Eventually the group split up all going their own way for exploration. Doran himself traveled back to the scroll rooms only to find a woman standing in the center of the room. She stood only a bit taller than Eveya at probably around 5'5 and had teal eyes with sandy blonde hair pulled into a pair of tails on the bottom of the back of her head. She wore a deep purple dress with a plunging neckline yet still managed to cover her breast and ran with a slit along her right side exposing her leg and sandal covered foot.

"Welcome Prince Doran to Sanctuary." Said the woman causing his eyes to narrow.

"Who are you?" questioned Doran cautiously.

"You're cautious good, you have some sense about you. As to your question I am Temari, a friend of Naruto's."

"I am honored to meet you my lady." Said Doran with a bow getting a smirk from her.

"Come young man, let me show you around."


	3. Chapter 2: Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. First and foremost thank you to everyone who reviewed. This chapter takes place about ten years after the last one and as such there were quite a few changes that have occurred but some that had remained the same. I've taken inspiration from other sources for some things but they won't be exactly how they were in the source material. Also these early chapters are all part of the prologue so that's why there will be so many time skips starting out. Also magic won't play a big role for the characters right now, simply because none of them with the ability are strong enough to use it in combat situations. With that I think I've covered everything so here is the new chapter.

Winds of Change

Chapter: 02

Start Now:

Year 277 A.C.

The sounds of clashing steel, thumping arrows, pounding hammers from the forges and cheering filled the air of Winterfell's grounds. It was a sound that over the last decade the castle's residents had become well used to, none more than the Starks of Winterfell themselves. At the moment the Lord and Lady of Winterfell could both be found standing on the bridge between the Armory and the Great Keep as they watched over the events currently taking place. Below them in the space near the East Gate an archery range could be seen which was currently in use by a group of kids none of which could be older than ten of which Benjen was a part of.. Watching their youngest both parents could only be filled with pride at the progress in his training and studies.

Their children were all incredibly smart, though all of them had areas in which they were most interested. By this point all of them were fluid in both the Old Tongue as well as reading and writing of runes. Brandon of course had shown more interest in his martial training an interest that had only increased when the memories of his old life had awakened. Eddard had been more studious than his brother but after his memories awakened he'd learned to relax and began spending more time with his siblings. Lyanna had always been more interested in history but she'd flourished in her martial studies and though not yet fully trained was clearly a cut above the rest of her age. Her memories had only awakened earlier in the year and after her brief bout of depression had taken to her lessons with a fervor never before seen in her. As for Benjen like before he was Lyanna's shadow and as she moved he moved, this had become especially true when his memories woke and the two were seemingly joined at the hip for the most part.

They were also studying magic under Jiraiya and Tsunade. Under their guidance all of the Stark family could now warg into the skin of an animal with complete control. At this point all of them had Goshawks that they were now bonded with. On top of that Jiraiya was their teacher for runic and elemental magic while Tsunade taught them healing magic. Runic magic was something that he personally had taken a fast liking to while Lyarra was more focused on healing, which took her much longer to learn. Finally they were also learning combat magic, more specifically elemental magic.

According to Jiraiya they all had the potential to one day use ice magic as all of them had affinities for its base elements of wind and water. They could rapidly cool the water to transform it into ice but Jiraiya had stated to create ice from nothing would both elements being manipulated at once. This ability is apparently what had allowed Brandon the Builder to raise The Wall, though it was a combination of others spells and runes that maintained it. As things stood Brandon favored using wind magic whereas Eddard favored water and while both could use the other element neither could combine the two at this point. Lord Rickard himself also favored one over the other his being wind while Lyarra favored water as she could use it as a medium for healing. Lyanna and Benjen however have not yet started their advanced training in this regard.

They however weren't the only people training in Winterfell however for the castle had played or was playing host to every heir in the North. Not only them but commoners were also being trained in the arts of combat, though in those instances that was taken care of by those Lords they lived nearest to. Of course not everyone was interested in combat and there were many that were learning smithing, hunting or any number of things. They also had people who were interested in more intellectual pursuits and many of them would go on be sent to White Harbor to study at the academy there before going on to work in their bank Frostmourne after the sword of Bran the Builder, or any number of fields that became available to them. The bank itself had been built in White Harbor which had indeed become a true trading hub. The bank and White Harbor itself was guarded over by members of the Fangs of Fenrir or the Black Wolves, the mercenary company once known as the Company of Roses.

Leaving their youngest to his fun the two continued their walk around the grounds. As they walked they passed both the armorers and the crafter workshops. These buildings were big, much bigger than they'd have previously been. For the armorer it was because more updated means of crafting armors had been discovered and more space had been required. The crafters however were a mixed group and worked on anything from furniture to instruments. Some of the instruments were things that had been discovered in other lands and had been brought back such as the piano and violin. One of the requirements that Jiraiya and Tsunade had set when it came to the training of people was that all of them learn to play at least one instrument, considering the nature of that group the two of them could certainly understand why.

Eventually the duo found themselves entering the First Keep. It had been rebuilt over the last decade and now acted as a small learning center more than anything. It was here that children were taught the more theoretical knowledge before they moved on to the more physical pursuits. They were taught not only numbers, but history, languages, the arts and geography. There were also other more practical classes that they could elect to take and would help them later in life. This rather high level of education had already seen success with not only the staffing of the bank but in other areas as well such as hunters, fisherman and even farming. As with the courses the instructors were a varied bunch and hailed from a host of different places and some even from other continents. The North was flourishing, and all knew it was due to the plans and actions of the Lord and Lady Stark.

Moving through the ground floor of the Keep they passed a few classes that were in session until they came to the room they were seeking. The room in question held a number of young girls all of whom were concentrating on some parchment that stood on easels before them. Moving slowly around the room was a woman by the name of Ada Zumbe who while dressed as a northerner was a foreigner who would not look out of place on the Summer Islands but hailed from the continent of Agela from a country called Rowan. She was a dark-skinned woman with short cut black hair, she was slim with a slim waist, wide hips and big breasts. She was a true beauty and if that wasn't enough was one of the kindest people he'd ever met. She was in charge of the sewing lessons of the ladies as the making of clothing was her passion.

"Lord and Lady Stark how can I help you."

The woman spoke quietly and only once she stood in front of them. She spoke with an accent that gave her voice power did nothing to take away from her femininity. She was the fourth daughter of a Rowanian nobleman who controlled the ports and her marriage had been part of the negotiations for trade with her people. She had married a man who was now a captain of one of their trade ships by the name of Xharara Taxos, a Summer Islander who'd been captured by slavers and freed after the ship ran afoul of the then Company of Roses ten years ago. He like many of the men that had been captured had joined the company in gratitude while the women had been returned to the islands.

"We first wish to inform you the Gael has docked in White Harbor" said Lady Stark getting a large smile from the other woman as this was the name of her husband's ship.

"Second we wished to know how Lyanna has taken to your class." Said Rickard

"She's getting better, I think she'll always be more comfortable with a weapon in hand but if she maintains her level of focus and determination she could also be quite the seamstress." Said Ada.

"What of Caitlyn?" questioned Lyarra

Caitlyn Tully had been taken as a ward of theirs as part of an alliance with the Riverlands that would allow them to ship their wares over land giving them access to the rest of the South for land trade. This alliance included her marriage to the next Lord of Winterfell. It was for this reason that she'd been brought North at just 12 and while she had now been there for a year they made regular checks with her instructors to see how she was doing.

"Lady Caitlyn was already quite skilled when she first started with us as you know. However I am pleased to inform you that her attitude has improved remarkably since her arrival, no one has threatened her in a few months from what I hear." Said Ada causing Rickard to chuckle.

Caitlyn's attitude had not endeared her to many when she'd first arrived. Having been raised in the South and Riverrun of all places she'd had many of their ideals. Lyanna certainly hadn't been impressed and hadn't even hesitated before punching the girl in the mouth. The other children hadn't been as quick to strike her, especially the common born but they'd taken their turns in sparring seasons, not only beating her but mocking her lack of skill for her age. They'd only allowed one person to join her from Riverrun and that had been her uncle Ser Brynden Tully otherwise known as the Blackfish, who had not been happy at her treatment. Lyarra had taken great pleasure in informing the southron knight that they were now in the North and the girl would need the humbling before she would be accepted by their people and mocking their religion as she had or disrespecting people like she did wouldn't be tolerated by her peers. It hadn't taken long for the girl to realize that her southern heritage was not looked at well here and soon she had started adjusting and showing improvements.

"Thank you Lady Ada, we'll let you get back to your students." Said Lyarra, Lady Ada gave a short bow of the head before turning away and resuming her vigil over the room.

Leaving her to her duties the duo left the room and split as each went on to see about their own individual duties.

* * *

White Harbor was a beautiful place located on the eastern shore of the White Knife. It is clean and well-ordered, with wide straight cobbled streets that make it easy to walk around. The houses are built of whitewashed stone, with steeply pitched roofs of dark grey slate. Though once a small port it had transformed into a true city, the largest in the North even before the changes brought about by the Lord Stark. In the last ten years it had grown even more and was now home to all manner of craftsmen offering every ware possible and one can even find the occasional conman or shady dealer in the shadows. Its growth could be attributed to two things, Frostmourne otherwise known as the Bank of the North and the fleet of ships that sat in the port.

Another thing that contributed to its size was the Academy, an institute of higher learning with a student population that numbered in the mid hundreds and was steadily growing each year. Like the Winterfell and the other Northern castles they had a number of core classes that included Basic Numbers, History, Languages, The Arts and Geography. They also taught Advanced Arithmetic, Medicine, Chemistry, Astrology and for a select number of students Politics. Because of the number of people that frequented the city a number of taverns, inns and brothels had appeared within the city. All in all the place was becoming a haven for students, artists, scholars, and freethinkers.

Standing upon one of the ships taking it all in was a young man on the cusps of adulthood. The young man in question was Brandon Stark and though only 15 he stood tall at 5'8" and many felt he would no doubt reach and even surpass six feet in height. He wore a dark brown robes, with a grey hood currently down, the front of which ended near his shins accented with a large dark grey stripe that ran down the center of his front, the interior of which was padded for protection and lined with fur for warmth that led to a pair of matching pants and boots. At his sides were a pair of short slightly curved swords known as cutlass types while a bow was strapped to his back and his forearms were covered by a pair of bracers. His blades were uniquely made in that they measured at 33.5 inches with a blade that was 27 inches that was made from Ethium which was a new metal found in the Northern Mountains that was similar to Valyrian Steel in that it was lighter and stronger than regular steel, though it was bolstered by the ability to channel magic through them.

"Hell of a view isn't it." Said a voice from behind him.

Turning he was greeted to the sight of Jon Umber, the heir House Umber of Last Hearth he was now 18 and stood at around 6'4" when last they checked. Most people were awed that he was still growing but Brandon with his knowledge of the times that had once been knew the man would get much taller still.

"Aye, to think just how much of it had been under construction just a few years ago." Said Brandon

"How long do you plan to stay?" questioned Jon.

"Lord Manderly will most likely invite us to feast tonight so he can hear of our travels. If so I'll have a lie in tomorrow and head for Winterfell the day after." Said Brandon after a few moments of thought

"There you guys are!"

The new voice had both turning to be greeted by a pair of figures. One was a young woman who they knew as Barbey Ryswell, daughter of Lord Rodrick Ryswell. She was tall for a woman at nearly 5'10" and shapely thanks largely to her training. The other was a young man by the name of Elbert Arryn, the nephew and heir of Lord Jon Arryn of the Vale. Unlike last time through the two of them had been fostered in Winterfell as had Jon Umber. The three Northerners as well as his younger brother Eddard had been amongst the first group to train under Jiraiya and the then Company of the Rose. Elbert had arrived a few years later and they'd pulled him into their circle when he began training with them. Of the group Eddard or Ned as they called him was the only one who had not been permitted to take the trip with them, instead he'd once again been sent to the Vale to foster under Lord Jon Arryn nearly a year ago now. Both of them were dressed similarly to how he himself were though there were differences in terms of cut, color, and armaments.

"Why are you guys still here?" questioned Elbert, he'd thought for sure they'd have already found a tavern.

"Waiting on the bankers to finish the inventory.

"Well hopefully they finish soon, I don't think I'm the only one who can think of doing something better been standing around here." Said Barbey

This was true though what went unspoken was that they were also sure they knew exactly what it was Barbey was hoping for. This only made Brandon wish they would hurry more, as while not the best he had been with he would never pass up an opportunity to be wrapped between her thighs.

A few hours later found Brandon sitting up on the edge of a bed as he went about placing his boots back on his feet. His torso was bare revealing his upper body as somewhat bulky and covered with muscles, something of a boxers build according to Jiraiya. Another thing revealed however were the tattoos which covered his frame. Covering the left side of his chest was the head of a direwolf with a banner fluttering under it with his house words 'Winter is Coming' written on each piece of the banner all of it in black ink. The neck of the wolf ran over his shoulder the arm of which was almost completely covered something that was called a 'sleeve'. At the top near his shoulder was the Aegishjalmur or Helm of Awe which was a symbol of protection while the rest of the arm down to the end of his forearm was covered by tribal designs though other symbols these runes could be seen spaced out throughout it.

"Leaving already?"

Looking over his shoulder for a moment he was greeted to the sight of Barbey as she slid out of the bed and moved over to a nearby table, not even bothering to cover her nudity. Her body was marked with fewer and smaller tattoos than his own such as her houses sigil on the back of her right shoulder. Her brown hair was in disarray and she did nothing to fix it focused instead on pouring herself a drink.

"Aye, I need to bathe and then go see Jiraiya." Said Brandon turning away from her and slipping his shirt on.

"Right then, if I don't see you tonight I'll see you when it's time to head back out." Said the girl.

* * *

Nearly an hour later found him walking through the halls of the castle fresh from his bath. He wore a new set of robes, this one more appropriate for the cold of the North than the ones he wore at sea or in other countries. The robes were something that had been brought to them by Jiraiya and had become the uniform of the Fangs of Fenrir. This one was made of brown leather while his forearms were covered by a pair of vambraces and a deep red sash was secured around his waist and holding it in place was a buckle that was formed by the symbol of their order which was a pair of upside down axes connected at the end knob. Completing his outfit was a cape with a furred collar. What went unseen however were the runes on the that regulated the temperature for the weather in effect insuring that the body never got too warm or worse too cold. These days most people in the North had something that helped them regulate their bodies temperature and as such to survive the cold that permeated the North.

He found Jiraiya outside leaning against the railing of a connecting bridge overlooking a courtyard while he smoked his pipe. Down below he could see a group of trainees as they went about their bow practice. A bit further away was another group this one being more physical as they sparred with kunai knives. These knives were something that Jiraiya had revealed and a multi-purpose tool. Farmers could use them to dig holes and he knew they were used in the mines and even for construction projects. The leaf shaped blades were usually left unsharpened due to its usual method of use. When used for combat however they were quite versatile as it could be used as a stabbing weapon, a throwing weapon or by tying rope to the ringed end could become what they called a rope dart and used for grappling and even a bit of distance combat.

"Welcome back brat. How was your trip?" Said Jiraiya breaking him from his observation.

"It was incredible, I had no idea the world was so big or that there would be so much in it." Said Brandon with a smile.

"And you've only seen a small part of it. There are so many places in this world of ours. To experience it all would be the work of a lifetime." Said Jiraiya laughing.

"I'm looking forward to seeing more of it though." Said Brandon

"You'll need to wait a while. I'm putting your team on standby, things have gotten interesting while you've been away."

* * *

For Princess Elia Nymeros Martell this second life was one she found herself thankful for every time she awoke. Now twenty years old she could say that she was enjoying this new life much more than she had her previous one. The first time through she'd struggled through it as she'd always been sickly. This time she'd been cured when she was just ten years old, Doran had returned from one of his expeditions and surprised everyone when he'd returned with a guest, a woman named Sakura that was revealed to be a healer who had proceeded to heal her with water magic. The woman had stated that her mother had been most likely been fed poison while she'd been pregnant with her and that had caused damage in her development resulting in her previously frail state.

This reveal had caused her mother to order a search and seizure of the maester's quarters. The seizing of his journals revealed that he had indeed poisoned her mother resulting in several miscarriages and the deaths of her elder brothers Mors and Olyvar who'd died during their infancy. Her mother had the man beheaded and Doran had gone to Kings Landing escorting Sakura who'd already been heading that way. That at least was the official story, in truth from what Doran had told them privately Sakura was a goddess who specialized in healing. She had been tasked by Naruto to see to her recovery and had been summoned by another goddess named Temari when Doran had come across her in Nymeria's Sanctuary. Whatever the case she had recovered wonderfully which had resulted in changes to her adult body. The first time through she'd barely been five feet in height, skinny and flat chested as an adult even after the birth of her children. Now she stood at 5'7" with a decent bust size and while still skinny she had a curve to her figure and was also a bit muscular. All told she looked and felt much better than she had the last time through.

Regardless with her new lease on life she'd taken full advantage of her time. Doran had discovered heaps of knowledge within Nymeria's Sanctuary including forms of water and earth magic called Bending and she had devoured it all. In the last ten years she'd learned a lot, such as how to fight as well as bend the elements. This ability was performed through the motions of one's hands and feet, though it was a tier system with a Master able to do it all with minimal movement and a Grandmaster be able to use the ability simply through their will and focus with no outward motion. As of now she was one of very few who could use Water, Earth and the earth sub-ability of Sand manipulation and the only one who was considered an expert in all three and had done it all by the time she was sixteen. In that time her mother had still taken her and Oberyn on the betrothal tour and just as she remembered none of it had worked out as she'd hoped. This time however she'd convinced her mother to skip the Lannister's altogether.

After this she'd been given the option to travel her own path and had headed to the North to study at the Academy of White Harbor. She had barely gotten off the ship when she was greeted a group which included the Lord Stark himself. She'd been invited to stay in Winterfell and study under the Master Healer Tsunade and had not been able to turn it down. She'd stayed in Winterfell for three years learning everything Lady Tsunade had to teach her. More than that though she'd gotten to spend time with Lyanna, and while for a while she hadn't remembered her it had been nice to see a purely innocent version of her who just wanted to learn and have fun. When Lyanna's memories had finally awakened she'd been there when she'd broken down and cried and listed while she ranted and swore vengeance. She'd left Winterfell only a few months later and returned to Dorne but in that time she and Lyanna had bonded and come up with several new ideas all their own.

Upon her return she had immediately gone to work as she and Doran had led a major project much to her surprise. With the knowledge of the bending arts at their disposal and a fairly high number of their people capable of it her mother had tasked the two of them in the construction of a series of underground canals that would spread all over Dorne giving their land access to free water. Despite their ability to bend elements however the project was proving to be a long and taxing one. At the moment she was resting inside of a large tunnel she had helped erect in order for them to dig the trenches that would allow the water to flow from its source to their target destination, in this case being Sandstone the seat of House Qorgyle, where her brother Oberyn had fostered for a few years when he'd been younger.

Unfortunately, her younger brother was not available for this task. Oberyn was instead tracing his previous steps in an effort to bring about the births of his daughters and to re-establish his legend. As it was the only difference was that he'd not killed Lord Edgar Yronwood when they held their dual and she had been there in order and managed to heal him, Oberyn had still ended up with his nickname 'The Red Viper'. Also unlike last time he'd not stayed long in Oldtown and left shortly after Obara was born. Also unlike last time he'd not just taken the child from her mother but invited the mother to come to Dorne and set her up with a house, a bit of coin and had someone teach her a more respectable trade and she now worked as a seamstress. After that was done Oberyn had also travelled North but had stayed in White Harbor and attended the Academy before leaving for Essos. That said she had not lost track of time and she knew the time for preparation would be coming to an end, soon it would be time to publicly enter the Game of Thrones, and this time they would be playing to win.

* * *

Located at the mouth of Blackwater Bay was the volcanic island of Dragonstone. The islands biggest feature was the active volcano that had over time become known as the Dragonmont and it was on the face of the mountain beneath the volcano that the Castle of Dragonstone could be found. The castle itself had been constructed using Valyrian sorcery, fire magic that had enabled its builder to shape its construction to their liking and as such allowed the upper stone towers to resemble dragons. Dragon architecture can be found throughout the castle, such as small dragons framing gates and dragon claws holding torches while a pair of great wings cover the armory and smithy while dragon tails form archways and staircases.

Nearly five hundred years old the castle was the original seat of House Targaryen in Westeros, though it had once merely been the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold. Since the Conquest it has served as the seat of heir apparent titled the Prince of Dragonstone. The current Prince of Dragonstone Rhaegar Targaryen had called the place home for the last few years, much earlier than he had in his original life. This change however was needed as the privacy afforded by Dragonstone was invaluable to his training. When he'd first come to Dragonstone it had been when his mother in the later stages of her pregnancy with a small party that consisted of the two of them Ser Barristan Selmy and Prince Lewyn Martell of the Kingsguard as well as a healer named Sakura and her husband Sasuke Uchiha. It wasn't until his memories awoke a few days after they arrived on Dragonstone that he'd learned that they had been sent to aid his family by Naruto.

Before that time Sakura had helped his mother birth a set of twins, Shaena and Daeron Targaryen, a gift from Naruto as that they'd both died as babies the first time around. His father had been elated but had apparently demanded the three stay on Dragonstone where there was no maester trying to kill them. His mother and the twins had eventually moved back to Kings Landing but he had stayed to train under Ser Barristan and Sasuke. While Ser Barristan trained him as a knight Sasuke had trained him in magic. He'd helped him learn to manipulate his Dragon Dreams while he was awake which allowed him to peer into both the past and the future. When he was younger he'd been surprised his presence was recognized by a group of Valyrian sorcerers he'd decided to watch who had revealed that he was using an ability they called Astral Projection which was allowing his spirt to travel into the past. Dragon Dreams were apparently an unfocused and uncontrolled version of this ability

He studied under them for the next few years learning all that he could, including a type of fire magic that they called Firebending, an advanced sub-ability they called Lavabending and how to hatch, bond with and care for dragons. They'd also taught him another kind of fire magic though this one with a wider area of effect. It had taken a few months but once he'd learned everything they had to teach him he was informed that he would not be able to see them again for some time and that he should focus on his role in the times to come. Unfortunately he also learned that learning something this way did not mean his body was capable of doing it and he'd still have to train his body to use what he'd learned. While he had trained himself in all aspects he knew he still had a ways to go until he even thought about trying to gain mastery over any of it.

Following his training under the ancient sorcerers he'd looked into more recent past events starting with Aegon and his sister wives Visenya and Rhaenys. He could see that history had gotten much wrong about their relationship, but it had deteriorated in time though not without influence from septons, maesters and scheming lords. Following this he'd looked into other troubling periods for his family and found that whenever things reached their worst for his family it was due to the manipulation of the citadel and the septons and usually through the manipulation of other lords even the Dance of Dragons and their decline had been at the hands of these groups. Thankfully the Citadel had already lost a lot of prestige with the Lords as their actions against the houses of Stark and Martel had become known, the maesters had by this point been completely ejected from Dorne.

When he was fifteen it was determined that he had finished his training and having proved himself in a few tourneys he'd been knighted by Ser Barristan. Having focused more on his martial training this time, even though he still kept his studious nature, he had grown to progress a more powerful form. Training under Sasuke's influence his body had not been built just for strength but for flexibility and speed and as such he wasn't bulky with muscles. In truth while a bit bigger than he'd been the last time through as a full grown adult as he now possessed a medium frame and was covered in compacted muscles with very little fat and he was also taller than he'd been at the same age last time.

Following his knighting he began to spend more time in Kings Landing, though over the last year his time there had been less plentiful and he'd returned to Dragonstone with his siblings having successfully convinced his father to allow it, it had been his desire to pass to them some of the lost Valyrian knowledge he'd gained that had won out in the end. This time he'd the Kingsguard assigned had been Ser Lewyn Martel and they'd been accompanied by his best friend 'The Sword of the Morning' Ser Arthur Dayne for whom Daeron was a squire. He was most impressed with Shaena as she'd taken to magic and combat as if it were second nature to her, so much so that he sometimes thought she was Visenya reborn. He was thankful for that as with their rate of growth he was hopeful that he could complete their training before their time expired, as if all else failed they'd be the ones passing the lessons on to the next generation, though he had no intention of dying this time around the future as always was uncertain.

* * *

To say that the mood within the Red Keep was tense would be an understatement. Of course for those who spent a significant amount of time within the Keep there had existed and wariness about the place for quite some time a stand-off between the King and his Hand that all knew of but never spoke on. This stand-off existed for many a reason but the man one was that Aerys was considered the King in name while it was said Tywin was the one who truly ruled. Most would also point to the shift of the power dynamic as being when the Queen had taken an extended stay on Dragonstone prior to the birth of the twins and Tywin had taken the opportunity to appoint a new Master of Coin in Lord Quarlton Chelsted and Lord Royce was dismissed as Master of Law in favor of Lord Symond Staunton. The whispers say the Queen had been furious to discover this upon her return from Dragonstone but had relented in exchange for the education of the Twins to be her responsibility with a few other unknown conditions as well.

This had not been helped that in the years since the birth of the twins she'd had three more miscarriages and Prince Viserys now little more than a year old had only been born when the Queen had decided to return to Dragonstone for the duration of her pregnancy. Of course in those years the relationship between Aerys and Tywin had become incredibly strained due to a number of factors and had been destroyed after the death of Lady Joanna Lannister, rumored to have once been the King's mistress, had died in the birthing bed bringing forth the dwarf Tyrion Lannister. This history however currently meant nothing to Queen who was clearly furious.

For Rhaella herself her fury was born not from the situation but that she had been unable to prevent it. Over the years she and Aerys had grown closer yet she'd been able to do nothing but watch as he transformed into the monster yet again. He'd yet to act against her in anyway, not even the mistresses had truly bothered her, though she'd drawn the line when he once again tried to lay with her ladies. No her fury was due to what she knew was coming and the fact that she'd be unable to do anything to stop it. 'The Mad King' was coming, it was inevitable as he'd already been held in Duskendale for nearly five months now and in her original life he'd been a captive for half a year, that meant the time to act was now. As if the thought was a spell she found her quarry after turning the next corner and had to withhold a grimace at the action she was about to take.

Her target was a man, she had never liked nor trusted and with her knowledge of the once future events she was evidently right. The figure in question was a man, plump and bald who woe robes that appeared to be a rich velvet color made of silk. He was not a terribly tall man standing at perhaps 5'8 and smelled of lavender. This man was none other than Varys otherwise known as 'The Spider' and The Master of Whispers. In truth when he'd first come to them she had wanted to simply kill him, but Sakura had stated he was a necessary evil for the big picture, so she'd ignored the urge.

"Lord Varys, a word." Stated Rhaella causing the man to stop at her approach.

"My Queen." Greeted the man with a short bow.

"We have need of your services." Said Rhaella, the use of the royal 'we' a sign of her seriousness as she rarely used it and only when she truly meant business.

"How might I be of service?" questioned the man.

"You will travel North to Winterfell and inform the Lord Stark that we require the aid of his Fangs. You will inform him of the current situation and that we will reward him greatly upon the Kings safe return, a ship will be ready to take you tonight." Said Rhaella

"Of course my queen." Said the man with a short bow.

"One last thing." Said the Queen stopping him short.

"Ser Barristan will accompany you. He will add credibility to your presence and furthermore will travel with those who undertake this mission. You are dismissed."

"Is it wise to trust him, my queen?" questioned her shadow for the day Ser Gerold Hightower, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.

"No, that's why I'm sending Ser Barristan with him. Better the eunuch than the maester who would relay word to Tywin first. Now let us go check on Viserys, Ser Oswell can keep us company while you brief Ser Barristan of his mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, the chapter is done. As it was getting too long I actually took nearly 2000 words out and moved them to the next chapter. Now for to help you visualize the character of Ada Zumbe is based off of Megan Goode, at least appearance wise. The outfit that Brandon, Barbey, Elbert and Jon are wearing when first seen is Edward Kenway's outfit from Assassin's Creed Black Flag with a few minor cosmetic changes. Jon Umber will also become known as Greatjon in later chapters but only after his son is born. Until next time, LATER.


	4. Chapter 03: The Cost of Defiance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all. Firstly thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. This one is out a little later than I thought it would be but I got it done. That said please don't expect updates this quickly going forward as part of this was cut from the last chapter. Updates may slow down with holidays approaching and all of the new games set to come out soon so sorry in advance. That said here is the next chapter.

Jiraiya had seen many things over his existence, his first life as a shinobi had been a hard one full of obstacles, pain and failure. His biggest failure he felt had been with Naruto, allowing him to stay and be raised in their home village of Konoha despite his instincts at the words of his teacher. Because of this, his profession as a spymaster and what that entailed he'd only gotten to spend around three years total with his godson before he was killed. Despite this upon his ascension to Godhood his godson, now a man who'd lived a full life, had not hesitated in raising him from the dead and allowing him the opportunity for a new life. Upon his own ascension many including Jiraiya were surprised in that he was created as a God of Love, based solely on the love and dedication he'd always had for Tsunade. Of course he was also a god of lust, battle, and hermits, but Love was his main domain and he and Tsunade married not long after this reveal.

Over time immortality had allowed him to see many things, none as awe inspiring as the metaphysical form that was The World Tree in its true state but many things that had impressed him, nonetheless. He and Tsunade had traveled many the multiverse in that time often descending to the mortal realm to live as humans to see if they'd find each other again, which they always did. It was one of these lives in particular that had an effect on him even now, in a different reality in Egypt in the town of Siwa he had embedded his spirit into a stillborn baby that would be called Bayek, the last of the Medjay, the protectors of Egypt. Tsunade had in the same way become Aya of Alexandria, later known as Amunet. They went through many trails and hardships but together founded a group known as the Hidden Ones, which later evolve and became known as the Brotherhood of Assassins. Naruto and his father Minato were also members of the Brotherhood, Naruto had even lived the lives of two rather legendary Assassins but those were stories for another time.

Upon being given the invitation to come to this reality he and Tsunade had jumped at the opportunity, honestly how B had let everything get so fucked up he still had no idea. Still it was in this image that he had created the Fangs of Fenrir or Black Wolves in, teaching them everything including the tenants of the creed. Brandon Stark who he saw much of himself in had become his apprentice, and only the third that he'd taken as himself. Of course he was also an accomplished spymaster and as such the Fangs of Fenrir were more than just warriors and he had plans for an even greater expansion. As of now he had ears in all of the major territories in Westeros and a few in Essos. As such he had known of Varys's mission long before the man's arrival and had people on him before his ship had even docked. While it was not the first time the man had come North it was the first time he'd come undisguised and as such his first official trip and as such he was there to greet him himself as he and Ser Barristan stepped off of the ship.

That had been a few days ago, as of now he could be found riding beside the two men with a small group of guards as they ran for Winterfell. Varys had apparently been quite surprised when he'd not been provided a wheelhouse but a horse, but he was a grown man and would be treated as such. The man hadn't complained which was a point in his favor, but he still knew better than to trust him, honestly he'd rather just kill him and be done with it but Varys was needed for the timeline they envisioned to play out. The travel had been quite easy for the last few days and Winterfell was actually quite close easily in viewing distance and as such he was not surprised when they were met by a group of riders.

"Lord Jiraiya, good to see you again so soon." Said one of the riders which Varys was surprised was a young woman.

"You as well, Nyla. Tell me how your father is doing?" returned Jiraiya

"He has recovered well my lord. Please extend my thanks to Lady Tsunade again when you see her." Said the young lady.

"Of course, now I need one of you to inform Lord Stark of our approach and that we are escorting an important guest." Said Jiraiya.

"Deran." Called the girl causing one of the three boys with her to nod before he rode off to Winterfell at a fast pace.

A bit over thirty minutes later found the group riding through the gates of Winterfell with their escorts. For Varys though he'd been silent for the most part he'd been listening and what he had learned was enlightening. Like himself this man Jiraiya was clearly a foreigner, yet the people held him in high esteem. Furthermore it was clear that it wasn't just the people who knew of him but that he knew them, as he'd yet to fail to acknowledge anyone by name. The man at just over six feet in height was clearly a warrior and he'd known that the people of the North were supposed to respect strength but now he was truly seeing it. He'd also been surprised to learn that it was his wife that was the mentor to Lady Sakura, the healer who'd delivered the royal twins and Prince Viserys.

They'd been met at the gate by not just Lord Stark but his wife and heir as well. He was informed he had three more children, but one was currently in the Vale and the two youngest were attending their lessons presently. Not long later after the proper formal greetings were exchanged he and Ser Barristan were escorted to their rooms to freshen up and an hour later he found himself seated within the Lords solar along with Jiraiya, Brandon Stark and Lady Stark.

"So Lord Varys, Ser Barristan how can the North be of service to the Iron Throne." Said Lord Stark

"You knew?" questioned Ser Barristan in surprise.

"You may have dressed as a commoner but any of my people would know a member of the Kingsguard by sight, especially one of your reputation."

"The Queen is requesting your aid." Said Varys

"Your being straightforward good, someone must have informed you those southern games would be looked down on here." Said Lady Stark

"Five months ago the king was taken prisoner, the queen is requesting the aid of your fangs in freeing him. In return she has promised you will be greatly rewarded." Said Varys

"Where is he being held?" questioned Lady Lyarra.

"Duskendale."

"Which would explain why Tywin moved such a large host there." Said Lord Stark thoughtfully.

"He'd still have to get through the city and then siege the Dun Fort though." Said Brandon shaking his head.

"You up for it?" questioned Jiraiya

"Yeah, sure." Said Brandon without any hesitation.

"Gather your team, you guys can take the Javelin from White Harbor to Maidenpool, approach Duskendale from the back end." said Lord Stark.

"Aye, that could work. We could slip in while they're distracted by Tywin and his forces." Said Brandon.

"Let them know then get some rest. You can head out in the morning; I'm sure Ser Barristan would like to go with you. Besides, it would be better for someone he knows to be with you. He's most likely quite paranoid by now." Said Jiraiya.

"Of course." Said Brandon before excusing himself.

* * *

The Javelin was a beauty of a ship, the likes of which Ser Barristan had never before beheld. It was a huge vessel at 167 ft (50 meters) it was a three-mast ship that despite its size moved quickly reducing a two-week three-day journey to one that had lasted a week and two days. True to the plan they had disembarked the ship in Maidenpool and rode horse to Duskendale. Brandon's team consisted Barbey Ryswell, Jon Umber and surprisingly Elbert Arryn all of them heirs to powerful houses, the last of which was the heir of the Vale. Due to the siege currently taking place outside of the gates they'd been able to scale the walls on the side of the town and enter unnoticed. They'd spent a few days in the town scouting it out and getting to know the temperament of its people. For himself Ser Barristan found he was learning quite a bit about his new comrades and the way they operated as well as a few new skills.

Brandon Stark was clearly a capable leader though that could be said for all of them as they all clearly had working brains that they made use of. They could easily work independently of each other but were an even better team and trusted each other implicitly. The plan they'd come up with to infiltrate the Dun Fort was quite devious and he himself hadn't been able to find any flaws in their reasoning, hell they'd come up with things he'd have never even thought of, such as disabling alarm systems, taking out anyone important to the command structure and securing a means of escape. For one person all of this would seem like a lot and something could easily be forgotten but for a team of people the work was able to be divided up. Barbey would take care to disable the alarm bells, Eldric would take out the top commanders those being the Master-at-Arms and the Captain of the Guard and Jon would be securing the means of their escape. He and Brandon meanwhile would be infiltrating the fort to rescue the king and to make things easier they'd gotten him a guard's uniform so that he would better blend in.

With the uniform infiltrating the keep had been a simple thing as they'd simply let him in. The guards were going in and out and they weren't even checking for identities. The helms they all wore didn't help in this problem as the one he currently wore covered everything but his eyes, nose, mouth and chin thanks to the 'T' shaped cut out of its center. Such a thing would never happen in Kings Landing, he and his brothers of the Kingsguard knew every member of the castle guard by face if not by name. As for the helms they would only where them when on an active battlefield, never for a regular guard shift or a siege. In this instance however he wouldn't complain, instead he'd simply wait for the signal for him to make his move.

* * *

For Brandon Stark infiltrating the Dun Fort had been a simple process, though one that had required a good bit of agility. Over the last few days they'd scouted the place well and had come across a few access points, provided one had the ability to reach them. The Dun Fort sat on a cliff face, most likely so that they could not be flanked and force a head on attack. For most people that one avenue would be all they considered, Jiraiya however had trained them in something called parkour which gave them not only a freedom of movement but opened the eyes of a practitioner to their environment allowing them to see things they may otherwise have overlooked. It was with the usage of this ability that Elbert and Barbey had scaled the back of the forts wall in order to infiltrate the place.

He however had decided on a different path, a passageway that his father had told him of. The Darklyn's he knew was an Old House of First Men and the petty kings of the area, though not the original settlers or Kings of the area. House Dusken had been the true Kings for thousands of years before they fell during the Andal invasion. House Darklyn was a branch house began when one king's sister had married a childhood friend. When the Main House of Dusken was wiped out the Darklyn's had taken over. As they were not the original owners of the place the Dun Fort had secrets the Darklyn's had no clue about. One of these secrets were the catacombs that ran beneath the city. According to the plans his father presented him with Bran the Builder had designed them so that the Dusken's had a means of escape in the case of a siege.

He had been impressed when first presented with the scroll containing the plans as it was clearly ancient, and it was clear only magic was maintaining its form. Still he had studied it intensely for nearly a month prior to the arrival of Varys. No one had forgotten that it had been the events of Duskendale that began the downward spiral that was ended by the Rebellion and as such they had known this would be the first obstacle that would have to be overcome.

He found the entrance easy enough, exactly where it was said to be in the waters behind the fort was a small piece of stone marked with the system of The Builder. Pushing it in resulted in latches coming loose before a small doorway opened just large enough for a small dingy to slip through. It must have been on a timer as only just about two minutes after he made his way inside the doorway was closing and sealing itself as if it had never been there. Thankfully, he'd already gotten out of the water and lit a torch that had been placed in a sconce on the wall.

He'd navigated the catacombs for nearly five minutes by his count, lighting torches along the way before he'd come across a fork in the path. According to the original plans this split shouldn't be there as the passage was supposed to go left and would eventually lead to an exit in one of the towers. It was out of curiosity more than anything he took the path to the right, following the path through several twists and turns and stumbling across a few dead ends before he appeared in what appeared to be a crypt. This was odd because the Dusken's had never buried their dead, they'd always sent them out to see and burned them. He continued to follow the path though at times he had to abandon traditional routes due to damage of decay, such as stairs that had rotted away. In these cases he'd either leapt the distance or found a way around. Eventually he came to a stop outside of a room sealed by an iron gate and surrounded by more stone on both sides which led to dead ends. Inside the room were quite a few chests but the centerpiece was a coffin which from his eye looked to have been made of marble.

Unfortunately, there was no obvious way of accessing the inside such as a lock that could be picked, which meant there was most likely another pressure lock. Placing the torch down into a sconce behind him he held both his arms out to either side palms splayed outward for a few moments before a pair of massive air blast erupted from his palms. His application of force was soft as he didn't want to destroy the place and instead used only enough force so that a pressure stone could move. From his position the wind raced across the room pushing into the walls and across the floor. After only a few seconds, less than half a minute he felt a pair of stones sink in, one in the ground and one on the end wall on the right side of the room.

Stopping the air flow quickly he smirked as he watched the gate sink into the ground while he used a short burst of power to will the dust that floated in the air to fall instantly. The Air Blast was amongst the first things he'd learned when it came to his combat magic. Though simple in nature the Air Blast were quite versatile and with an effectiveness that varied with the amount of power applied. He'd once used the attack while out to see in order to escape the pull of a whirlpool. It had been the first time he'd displayed his ability openly and he knew members of that crew had been trying to learn magic ever since whenever they made port at home.

Making his way into the once sealed room Brandon stopped at one of the chests of which there were five all of which were made of iron. The chests was locked but thankfully the key was already inside however instead of immediately turning it he funneled a small bit of wind inside of the lock for a few moments before pulling it back along with a bit of dust its coloration showing it was mostly rust. Turning the key he was pleased when the chest rather easily unlocked and upon opening the chest was shocked to discover it was full of gemstones, specifically rubies. He repeated the process a few times and found the other chests contained, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and even gold coins.

Knowing the chests would be heavy he immediately made plans to come back for it all, he'd need to sneak in some people to held with it though. Moving over to the coffin he braced himself as with what was in the chests he was sure what was in the coffin must be even more valuable. Pushing the lid back he found he was not to be disappointed as there were no bones inside or anything that hinted there may have once been a body laid to rest inside. Instead what he found was a set of armor. The armor consisted of greaves, chest guard, vambraces and spaulders all of it having a scale pattern and possessing the signature ripple patterns of Valyrian steel. Also resting in the coffin was a sheathed sword that he recognized instantly as a claymore. Pulling it slightly from its sheath he was once more greeted with the rippled pattern of Valyrian steel and realized that he was holding Doombringer, the sword of House Dusken. He had to fight the urge to immediately put on the armor and sword, he couldn't risk wearing such a thing in front of the Aerys as he'd have no choice but to hand it all over and as much as he liked and respected Ser Barristan he would no doubt speak of him having it.

With his new discoveries he scratched the idea of bringing anyone back here with him. Instead he reached into his pouch and retrieved a scroll, one Jiraiya had given him almost two years ago. At the time he'd used it to sneak in gifts for his family that he'd gotten during his travels, Jiraiya had never asked for it back so he'd kept it but made sure to use it sparingly so people wouldn't notice it. Placing the armor and the sword into a pile on top of the unrolled scroll he channeled his magic into the scroll causing the items to vanish in a plume of smoke with the characters for armor and sword appearing on the scroll in runic. Following this he moved over to the chests and repeated the process with each one before rolling up the scroll and slipping it back into his pouch. Leaving the room he tapped the stone that was still sunk into the floor causing it to pop back into place before the gate came back up to seal itself into place. Retrieving his torch he relit it before moving to the right of the room he saw a small part of the wall had been pushed in and gave it a bit more of a push causing the doorway to open, slipping through it he pushed the door closed behind him leaving the room almost as if he'd never been there.

* * *

When the signal came it caught the attention of many people, and though he'd never heard the sound before Ser Barristan knew it was what he'd been waiting for. While others ran to investigate the sound he'd remained at his post. Brandon Stark landed in front of him within thirty seconds withdrawing a key he used to open the dungeon gate behind him. They were through the gate in seconds and then Brandon was sprinting ahead thankfully very few people were being permitted inside the dungeons right now so there were no guards they had to deal with. They found the king within two minutes and found he was sitting up against the back wall, he was a pathetic sight, covered in bruises and the garb he was wearing had clearly seen better days covered in blood as it was. He tensed at there approach and the Kingsguard was quick to remove the helm to reveal his face.

"Your grace, it is Barristan Selmy. My companion is Brandon Stark, Lord Rickard Stark's son. The Queen tasked us to retrieve you." Said the knight as he made his way to the man.

"Put him on your back. I'd say we've got about a minute before people make their way back this way." Said Brandon.

It took some convincing, but he soon had the king secured on his back and they were making their way quickly out. They'd only got halfway out before they came across a pair of guards racing towards them. Brandon didn't slow, instead he picked up speed before slamming his hands into the throats of both guards simultaneously slamming them both down to the ground on their backs before he rose up a pair of blades visible extended beneath his arms that soon slid backwards and disappeared.

"Let's go." Barked Brandon before taking off once more with Ser Barristan quick to follow after him.

Thankfully they didn't encounter anyone else before they made it out of the dungeons making a dash towards the main gate which was unguarded. Slipping out they were greeted to the sight of Jon Umber sitting outside of the gates sitting on a wagon with two horse attached to it.

"Get him up there. Our friends have already gone ahead to make sure the way is cleared for us." Said Jon

"Good, the last thing we need is one of them to get a lucky shot with an arrow." Said Brandon as he helped Ser Barristan get the king into the back of the wagon.

They had barely gotten him settled before the sound of running reached them. Turning towards the sound Ser Barristan felt his own rage flare at the quick approach of Symon Holland, Duskendale's Master of Arms and more importantly the man who had murdered his oath sworn brother Ser Gwayne Gaunt when they first took the king hostage. Unsheathing his own sword he blocked the incoming before pushing it off and lashing out with a strike the cut clean across Holland's torso despite the leather armor before reversing the direction giving him another cut and swinging once more causing his head to fly.

Once done he sheathed his sword and hopped in the back with his king while Brandon hoped up front. Despite the wagon not being made for it they tore down the cobblestone streets. Despite the moon being in its place in the sky it wasn't truly that late and there were still a few people out in the streets. Those people had no choice but to suddenly stop or dodge out of the way as Jon Umber had no intention of slowing down. As they neared the main gates of the city they could see them already beginning to open and only near the gates did they slow before they stopped altogether at the gates.

"You remember the rest of the plan?" Questioned Brandon as he hopped off of the wagon.

"No names. Only the King, Queen and Prince Rhaegar can know the identities of the full team." Said Ser Barristan quickly.

"Where are you going!" demanded the king

"The Queen tasked us to get you out and disappear. She wants to keep us as much of a secret as she can for the time being. Tywin's camp is not far from here if we go any further we risk rousing his suspicion." said Brandon.

"I will see you all rewarded for this." Said Aerys as Brandon stood before him while Ser Barristan moved to take control of the wagon.

"Perhaps one day, for now you should focus on recovery." Said Barbey surprising the king with the knowledge one of his rescuers was a woman.

"The camp should be about five minutes away. The only reason we haven't been seen is due to the dark. Go." With that the four ran off disappearing into the darkness.

Cracking the reins of the wagon Ser Barristan urged the horses on and true to Brandon's word they arrived at Tywin's camp within five minutes. Within that time Aerys somehow managed to pull himself together, though he did so by focusing on one thing and that was rage and the desire for vengeance. By the time Tywin and his commanders had appeared the fire had been well and truly stoked and the dragon was awake for all to see. When he spoke the temperature surrounding him seemed to rise and his eyes seemed to glow with an eerie light. In the aftermath of what would go on to become known as the Defiance of Duskendale it would be Aerys's revenge that would become both legendary and terrible.

Though Lord Darklyn would surrender upon the discovery that he no longer had a hostage Aerys would not be swayed from his vengeance and demanded the deaths of Denys and his entire family including uncles, aunts, and distant House Darklyn kinsmen living in Duskendale. House Holland who were not only related by marriage to the Darklyn's but helped in his imprisonment also felt his wraith were also put to death. Special care was given to a young squire by the name of Robin Hollard, a boy who pulled his beard when he first was seized, was killed on the rack. Most other deaths were quick as they were put to the sword. Lord Darklyn found himself castrated and was forced to watch as his wife had her tongue and lady parts torn out. When this was all done Aerys had ordered the lot of them burned. Lord's Darklyn and Hollard along with their wives were burned alive and in the end there had been only a single survivor young Dontos Hollard and only as a boon to Ser Barristan who had requested it. Though not many knew of it at the time but the monster that would become known as 'The Mad King' was born that night and his laughs as the fires burned would haunt the nightmares of witnesses for years to come.

* * *

They reached White Harbor in the early morning light, and while his friends immediately made their departures, Barbey and Jon for their homes and Elbert to check on an order with a blacksmith, Brandon found himself travelling the halls of Frostmourne. He was immediately led to see his aunt Branda who was the head of the bank, the years had been kind to her as despite being his mother's elder sister she still looked as if she were in her twenties. She had married Aeron Flint the second son of the Lord of Widows Watch and had two boys Rodrik and Errold who were 8 and 5 respectively. The bank had been under her direction since the very beginning and in that time had grown to become a huge beast that rivaled the Iron Bank and there was even talk of opening a branch in Kings Landing.

"How was your trip nephew?" questioned Branda after she released him from her greeting hug.

"Surprisingly profitable." Said Brandon.

With that he launched into his story about the catacombs beneath the Dun Fort. He would admit that he got a bit of a thrill from the look in her eyes when he released his newly found wealth from the seal. In this life she'd been his first crush and while he'd gotten over it there was still that bit of himself that delighted in impressing her. She also helped him to try on the armor and while it was ill-fitting at the moment she was sure that he would grow into it and if not she could have it refitted for him.

"As for the jewels and coins I'll have to speak to your father about it. I've no doubt that some of it will go to the family account but you'll still see your fair share of it." Said Branda.

"I figured that would be the case. I have a couple of plans I need to speak with him about as well."

The armor was soon returned to the scroll though he took the opportunity to place the sword on his back, he planned to be well used to it before things picked up for his house again. A few minutes later and a group of men entered the room each of them taking up one end of each chest and moving to take them to the Stark vault. He took his leave not long later and headed to the Wolf Den where he was debriefed by Jiraiya. The man had congratulated him on his find and stated they'd begin training him to wield heavy class weapons so that he would be comfortable with the claymore when that time came.

The return to Kings Landing had been a quick one. Rather than travel by land the King had commandeered a ship from the blockade to return him to his seat. It took only a few days by sea to make their return and upon arrival they'd been met by three more members of the Kingsguard. The King was loaded into a carriage and while one took the reins the other three rode horseback surrounding it. Upon return to the Red Keep the King was immediately taken to see the new Grand Maester Clarrik. Lady Sakura was had still not returned from the North where she'd gone to visit her former teacher months ago which left them with no choice but to use the maester.

Pycelle, the previous Grand Maester had been sentenced to the Nights Watch a few months after the birth of Viserys. He would replace the Maester at Castle Black who had been released of his vows and sent to Winterfell. Lord Stark had accepted this as he'd known Maester Aemon since he was but a boy himself. It had been a great move from the Queen and had averted what could have been a very bloody affair between the North and the Citadel. It had left the Night's Watch with a maester problem for a few years which they solved by having temporary holders in place on a rotation until Pycelle had been sent there. After the maester had seen to his health the King had dismissed everyone with the exception of the Queen with the Kingsguard leaving Ser Oswell Whent to guard the door while the rest retreated to the White Sword Tower to debrief Ser Barristan.

Nearly two hours later the Queen emerged and addressed the court. When she did she had a few announcements such as announcing the extinction of House Darklyn and that House Hollard had been reduced to a single member. Despite this both houses were stripped of all lands and titles and House Rykker was given the lands and incomes for Duskensdale. Furthermore the Northern mercenary company known as the Fangs of Fenrir would be given titles equivalent to knights in all of the Seven Kingdoms. As they did not follow the Seven but Northern Gods and customs the rules would be slightly different. As they accepted women amongst there ranks these women would hold the new title of Dame would be granted to them. Furthermore as Lord Stark had not hesitated to send aid in the most elite squad he had access to the North was being elevated to a principality and henceforth Lord Stark and his descendants would take the title of Prince or Princess of the North or alternatively the Prince or Princess of Winter.

With her announcements made the Queen retreated from the room and later that day the ravens were sent out with these announcements. The hornets' nest had definitely been shaken up and the board would see a massive restructuring. Of course none of these people with the exception of the Queen had any clue about the storm that would soon be coming their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it the chapter is done. The inspiration for Brandon's armor came from the Helmschmied Drachen Armor from Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. While not the best armor ever I felt visually it would fit the world of Game of Thrones, it just won't have the cape. That said I think you all for reading and please leave a review. Until next time, LATER.

**Author's Note:**

> AN: That's it, chapters done. I'm debating if I should give them the power to bend elements like Avatar except without all of the fancy footwork so feel free to give your opinions on that. Anyway thank you for reading and please drop a review.


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